The lead actor in the megahit The Passion of the Christ said recently that his career took a dip after playing Jesus in the $400 million global box office hit.

Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in The Passion of the Christ, was a rising star in Hollywood before he took on the role. He already had roles in The Count of Monte Cristo and Angel Eyes with Jennifer Lopez, the Daily Mail said.

Caviezel also starred in The Thin Red Line, a true story about fighting in Guadalcanal in WWII alongside Sean Penn and Nick Nolte in 1998. In 2000 Caviezel had a role in Pay It Forward, which starred Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment, CBN News said.

One of his biggest hits was the thriller Frequency, where he played the son of Dennis Quaid in 2000, Daily Mail said. In 2003 he was in the film I Am David, and the following year, his film Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius was released. It was the same year that The Passion of the Christ became a blockbuster, the Orlando Sentinel said.

But since then Caviezel had a downturn in his career, most surprising considering the tremendous success of the film. He told a group at First Baptist Church of Orlando that he was “rejected in my own industry,” OS reported.

He still continued to receive movie offers, but the number of offers lessened rather than increased. In 2008 he acted in The Stoning of Soraya M., a disturbing film based on a true story told by a French journalist (Caviezel) about a rural Iranian woman whose husband wanted to divorce her, and did so by lying and saying that she had committed adultery, OS said.

His most noteworthy role after The Passion was in the 2009 miniseries, The Prisoner, which failed to meet its potential, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Caviezel said he continues to feel Hollywood’s rejection seven years after The Passion of the Christ. But his faith remains strong and he said his career is led primarily by his religion as a Roman Catholic, OS said.

Of good friend Mel Gibson, who had been labeled anti-Semitic and who recently was taped uttering expletives to the mother of his youngest child, Caviezel said, “Mel Gibson, he’s a horrible sinner, isn’t he? Mel Gibson doesn’t need your judgment, he needs your prayers,” the OS reported.

Caviezel told worshipers at First Baptist that he believes he was called to the acting profession. He also notes that he was 33 years old when he played Jesus and his initialsm J.C., “freaked [Mel Gibson] out a little,” according to OS.

Caviezel spoke before First Baptist to promote an audio book of the Bible, Words of Promise, that he produced with an all-star cast including Richard Dreyfuss, the Daily Mail said. He referred to the audio book as “The Passion on Steroids.”

He was introduced by David Uth, pastor of First Baptist, as a man who is “more passionate about God,” than anyone he had ever known before. While promoting the audio book, Caviezel also shared his life and faith, Orlando Sentinel said.

Caviezel and his wife have adopted children from China with ‘special needs,’ including one who is stricken with cancer. Caviezel told the worshippers, “Maybe God, through my son’s death, is going to teach me something,” OS said.

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Christmas may be a Christian celebration, but in public areas the law says you can’t display a nativity scene without accompanying symbols of other faiths—even if these are faiths that don’t celebrate Christmas.

In Brookville Ind., a nativity scene in front of the Franklin County Courthouse was seen as a violation of the First Amendment by the Wisconsin-based “Freedom from Religion Foundation,” Fox 19 reported.

The FRF wants to have it removed. Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the foundation said, “If this was on private property, fine. But when this is in a government setting with a flag pole it seems to be tying being a good American citizen with being a Christian and that is making outsiders of non-Christians in your community.”

Petition, paid holidays

Christians in Brookville disagree, and are signing a petition saying that Christians have freedoms, too. Pam Henson told Fox 19, “This is our right, this is our season. These people who don’t want to celebrate or don’t want us to put out these symbols of Christianity don’t have a problem with taking paid holidays.”

Tom Wilson, county commissioner told Fox 19 he is willing to compromise by adding more lights, Santa Claus and reindeer. “If they [other faiths] want to come set something up tasteful I have no problem with them doing that.”

Nativity Scene in Virginia

In Loudoun County Courthouse grounds in Virginia, a nativity scene is standing on display, a 20-year tradition. The Loudown County Board of Supervisors voted against a ban of the display, WTOP said.

However, nine other faith displays are also permitted this year on courthouse grounds, and the nativity scene has been moved from its usual corner of the lawn. Alongside the nativity scene is one by a local atheist, WTOP reported.

Each display had to fill out an application for approval. Phil Rusciolelli, who was helping to set up the nativity scene said the other displays were “basically anti-Christian signs,” according to WTOP.

Boca Raton 12

In Boca Raton, FL, over a dozen people from the Christian Family Coalition filed into the city hall lobby to place 12 nativity scenes under a Christmas tree which stood beside a menorah, the Sun Sentinel said.

Anthony Verdugo, founder of CFC told the Sun Sentinel, “We didn’t storm City Hall. We came here as taxpaying citizens for a redress of grievances to our local government asking them for fairness, asking them for equality, asking them to allow us to display the Nativity scene just like they’ve chosen to display the menorah which is also another religious symbol.”

Last year, city resident William Lindner also donated a Nativity scene, but it was taken out and left in the city’s lost and found. Pastor Mark Boykin of the Church of All Nations in Boca Raton is bringing to light the issue of Christmas symbols, the Sun Sentinel said.

However, the Boca Raton responded to the 12 Nativity scenes with a statement saying, “The City of Boca Raton celebrates the holiday season by having displays in the lobbies of public buildings in a manner consistent with Supreme Court and other judicial rulings. These displays are city-owned decorations and are comprised of a Christmas tree, a menorah, and a “Seasons Greetings” sign, and may include garlands, winter decorations (such as snowflakes and snowmen), and/or lights,” the Sun Sentinel reported.

This was in reference to a 1989 ruling, Allegheny vs. ACLU in which the U.S. Supreme Court decided a nativity scene is unconstitutional but a Christmas tree and menorah are not, the Sun Sentinel said.

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For the first time since 1970 the Vatican has published a new Roman Missal—the book that is used by Catholics every Sunday for mass–with major revisions in its translation.

The Roman Missal, Third Edition also has prayers and guidelines on how to celebrate Sunday Mass. It was approved by the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for Divine Worship, according to the Third Edition Roman Missal website.

The original Missale Romanum in Latin was issued by Pope Paul VI in 1970. In 1973 an English translation was issued, prompted by the Second Vatican Council of 1962, which ordered that mass be said in a parish’s local language, CNN said.

Minor revisions were added in 1975 and in 2000 by Pope John Paul II including prayers for new saints, added prefaces to Communion prayers, added masses for specific needs and intentions, and updated instructions on celebrating the mass, the website said.

The Third Edition’s updated translation is expected to lend deeper meaning to the mass. It will be used on November 27, 2011 to coincide with the First Sunday of Advent, the website reported.

Benedictine Father Jeremy Driscoll of Mount Angel Abbey was an adviser to an important committee of English-speaking bishops that was convened by the Vatican, the Catholic Sentinel reported.

Driscoll told a group of priests in Oregon that the old Missal lacked the “inner voice” of the Latin version. With the new translation Driscoll factored in context, time, place where it was written, emotion, tone and pertinent vocabulary with multiple meanings, the Catholic Sentinel said.

Driscoll also said that in translating the missal they noted that the liturgy is mysterious and divine, yet with a concrete manifestation, particularly the trinity and communion, according to Catholic Sentinel.

Driscoll said while the old missal, for example, calls Jesus God’s “son” or “only son,” the Latin version is more adequately translated as “only begotten son,” lending emphasis to the fact that Jesus is “consubstantial with the Father,” the Catholic Sentinel said.

In terms of tone, Driscoll compared the Easter preface of the former, which says, “The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world while the choirs of heaven sing forever to your glory,” which pales to the new translation, the Catholic Sentinel reported.

The new preface captures the original Latin version’s exuberance, namely, “Therefore, overcome with paschal joy, every land, every people exults in your praise. And even the heavenly powers with the angelic hosts, sing together the unending hymn of your glory,” the Catholic Sentinel said.

Driscoll said the longer sentences will require that the priests be more knowledgeable of the text and say it correctly. Churchgoers will also have to be more attentive, according to the Catholic Sentinel.

According to CNN it is hoped that in the long term, the new translation will make churchgoers more appreciative and aware of the mysteries in the Liturgy. The website said the translation is important because what is prayed is directly linked to the substance of one’s faith, CNN said.

Sources:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/03/catholic-church-to-introduce-new-wording-for-sunday-mass/

http://www.catholicsentinel.org/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=29&ArticleID=13115

http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/index.shtml

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A missionary used his trumpet recently to spread the gospel in Cape Town, South Africa the Lewistown Sentinel said.

Randy Stahl of Burnham played his trumpet in the slums of Cape Town to call people out of their tumbledown houses so they can hear about Jesus, the Lewistown Sentinel said.

For one month from May to early June, he traversed the slums with fellow missionary Dirk Wood, founder of Arise and Shine Evangelistic association, and Globe international, according to Wood’s website.

The two dressed in special, unique costumes and Stahl played the trumpet to attract the attention of the dwellers and share his testimony.

They also did this with business groups and other Christian organizations, Lewistown Sentinel said.

Stahl and Wood chose the most risky South African neighborhoods. They simply drove in, parked and then played on the streets.

When people came out they ministered, prayed with the crowd and sometimes gave bread to the people, Lewistown Sentinel said.

Stahl was not intimidated by the danger. He said, “I felt the protection of God at all times.” There may be a genetic element since his father, Pastor Jim Stahl, worked with New York City evangelist David Wilkerson, author of “The Cross and the Switchblade,” Lewistown Sentinel said.

The elder Stahl worked with Wilkerson in his first efforts at ministering to the street gangs in New York, also playing the trumpet to draw the people out of their homes, Lewistown Sentinel said.

Stahl has been sharing the gospel with the use of his trumpet for some 20 years. He has been playing the trumpet since he was seven years old, and his father was his first teacher, according to his website Trumpet of Praise.

He has grown up travelling and ministering, and performed with leading Christian artists including Phil Driscoll, Sheila Walsh, the Rex Humbard Singers and Big John Hall, his website says.

While he has performed around the United States and Canada, he first performed in South Africa in 2006, his website says. He went back in 2007 and again this year, Lewistown Sentinel said.

Stahl has produced one CD and is working on a second. He said he plans to return to Cape Town in two years.

“This is not about entertainment. I’m out to minister,” he said, citing Psalms 98:4, ‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,’ Lewistown Sentinel said.

In South Africa one place where he played his trumpet, aside from the streets of Cape Town, was the Old Mutual Insurance Co., a business firm that had weekly worship services for its workers, Lewistown Sentinel said.

Stahl said, “Where in America could you have that?” Lewistown Sentinel reported.

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The story of 17-year-old Christian (formerly Muslim) convert Fathima Rifqa Bary is far from over according to the Orlando Sentinel, as she is getting surgery for cancer and will need several rounds of chemotherapy afterwards.

Rifqa Bary

Last year Bary converted to Christianity, then fled to Florida because she was afraid her parents or people from their mosque would kill her.

Now she is back in Ohio due to a court order, but lives with a foster family.

Even as her parents continue the court battle over how she should be raised, Bary has had two surgeries for cancer, and will undergo a third operation on Thursday, the Orlando Sentinel said.

While she was in the hospital, Bary’s estranged Muslim parents Mohamed and Aysha Bary were allowed to go to her hospital room without her permission, according to OneNewsNow.

“I don’t know if it was her attorney, her case worker, [but] somebody made the decision to bring her parents into the room to see her without her permission,” said Jamal Jivanjee, director of the Florida-based ministry, Illuminate, “and that caused her a lot of emotional turmoil and stress, and she objected to that and they had to get them out of there,” according to OneNewsNow.

In August last year Bary said, “If I had stayed in Ohio, I wouldn’t be alive. In 150 generations in my family, no one has known Jesus.  I am the first — imagine the honor in killing me,” FoxNews.com reported.

Bary fled to Florida on a bus last July after her parents learned that she was baptized in early 2009 without their knowledge. Weeks later, using cell phone and computer records, police tracked her to the home of Rev. Blake Lorenz, pastor of the Orlando-based Global Revolution Church, and his wife Beverly.  An Orange-Osceola judge ordered Bary back to Ohio in October last year, according to FoxNews.com.

Bary suffers from an aggressive form of uterine cancer.  Her doctors initially considered a complete hysterectomy, but are hoping that won’t be necessary.  The full extent of her condition will be known after her operation on Thursday, FoxNews.com said.

Fathima said that she would like to continue to stay with her foster family in Columbus.  She turns 18 on August 10 and as an adult, her court battles with her father should end, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

However, when she turns 18 she will lose her health care and may face problems with her immigration status for being in the United States illegally.  She may be deported back to Sri Lanka, FoxNews.com said.

Jivanjee said, “We’re praying that somehow she’ll be granted asylum.”  He added that with Bary’s immigration status still up in the air, and the prospect of extensive medical treatment, she is obviously scared right now, OneNewsNow reported.

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